Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What kind of books are you looking for?

We are looking for novels that make us want to stay awake all night. Novels we start reading the moment we sit down on an airplane, and by the time our flight lands, five hours later, we haven’t even noticed that our knees are in agony for having sat in coach.

We publish a range of fiction including adventure, thrillers, mysteries, science fiction, horror, urban adventure, women’s fiction, romance, historical and comedy. We’re not interested in erotica, poetry or short story collections (other than our own The Binge-Watching Cure.) Literary fiction is a tough sell for us, so you’re probably better off sending your literary novel elsewhere.

What are your royalty rates?

We pay authors 50 percent of our net receipts.

Claren books is a royalty-paying publisher: Money only flows from us to you. We are responsible for all the publishing expenses including proofing, editing, cover design, production, and marketing. We offer $1,000 advances for novels, and varying advances for foreign language translations. We pay authors half of our net receipts (total income, minus our costs); we share equally in the profits.

Should I submit a complete novel or query you?

Either is okay. Be sure to include your bio with your query or manuscript. Do you have a website, blog or Twitter handle? Let us know that, too.

Manuscripts should be between 25,000 and 100,000 words.

Are simultaneous submissions okay?

Yes, but reprints are not.

What rights do you acquire?

We acquire the usual panoply of rights, including North American and foreign print and ebook, translation, audio, and film. We do not acquire first and second serial magazine and newspaper rights.

How long will it take before I hear back from you after sending in my query or manuscript?

Probably several weeks to two months.

Where are your books sold?

Claren Books publishes our books as paperback and ebook editions. You can find them on Amazon and elsewhere. Our books are distributed through Ingram.

Have you had somebody else read your manuscript? We highly, highly recommend somebody who doesn’t love you as a person, who has a critical eye, and who reads a lot, review your manuscript before you send it to us.